Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS
By David Rieder
Both won Olympic gold medals in their signature events last night, and both wins came in dominant fashion. Both lowered their own world records in the process. And now, Katie Ledecky and Sarah Sjostrom will meet in an event that both have had success in, but neither has dominated.
Sjostrom won gold in the 100 fly Sunday night in 55.48, taking down the previous world record of 55.62 that she set at the World Championships last year. Sjostrom, notorious for her monster finishing speed, actually led at the halfway point and then clobbered the field on the way home, pulling away to win by seven tenths of a second.
And then Sjostrom climbed out of the pool and tossed her fists in the air. After so many years of promise but Olympic disappointments—she did not make any semifinals at her first Games in 2004 and then finished fourth in the 100 fly in her only final in 2008—she was a gold medalist.
“It feels amazing that I could do the race of my life when it really matters,” Sjostrom said. “I had a lot of pressure before because I really, really wanted to win this race.
“I think I like the pressure, somehow. I always swim faster when I know there’s a lot of people counting on me.”
And then there was Ledecky, who unsurprisingly led wire-to-wire in the final of the 400 free. The 19-year-old flipped four tenths ahead at the 50, and from there, it was not a question of whether she would win gold, or even if she would break the world record.
Ledecky was already more than a second under world record-pace at the 350, but she powered home in 28.92—sixth tenths faster than anybody else in the heat—and touched in 3:56.46. The world record had been 3:58.37.
Ledecky admitted after the race that she had set her sights on swimming that fast three years ago, when she first broke 4:00 in the event and won her first World title in Barcelona.
“To see the 56 up there feels really good,” Ledecky said. “I don’t like to think too much. I just keep my tempo up, keep my focus on how I’m feeling and keep my eyes on the black line.”
And now comes the 200 free. Ledecky first qualified to represent the United States in the event at the 2013 World Championships, finishing second behind eventual World Champion Missy Franklin at U.S. Nationals. But Ledecky ended up dropping that event in Barcelona to focus on the 400, 800 and 1500—in which she swept the gold medals.
Sjostrom, who had swum the 200 free a year earlier in London but missed the final, won the World title in the 100 fly in Barcelona and finished fourth in the 200 free, clocking 1:56.63. But a day later, Ledecky one-upped the Swede when she led off the gold medal-winning American 800 free relay in 1:56.32.
Two years later in Kazan, it was Sjostrom who opted out of the 200 free—which still ended up being one of the most hotly-contested events of the meet, with Federica Pellegrini, Katinka Hosszu, Femke Heemskerk, Franklin and Ledecky all swimming well.
Ledecky had barely qualified for the 200 free final (it came less than a half hour after she won the 1500 free), but she quickly took control of the race from lane seven and held off Pellegrini, 1:55.16 to 1:55.32.
And then a day later, Sjostrom led off Sweden’s 800 free relay and blasted a 1:54.31, by far the fastest time in the world for 2015.
Heading into the Olympics, Sjostrom ranks first in the world in the 200 free in 1:54.34 clocked last month, and Ledecky is right behind with a 1:54.43 from the Arena Pro Series meet in Austin in January.
Pellegrini and Emma McKeon have both been under 1:55 this year, and Franklin, Heemskerk, Bronte Barratt and others figure to be in contention, but when it’s all said and done, it would be surprising if it’s not Ledecky and Sjostrom standing on the top two steps of the podium in some order.
*And after all the drama in the women’s 200 free, it will immediately be time to get reset for another fun one in the men’s 200 fly. There figure to be three key players in that one, none more famous than Michael Phelps. After kicking his Olympics off with a gold medal-winning effort in the 400 free relay last night, Phelps will make his individual debut in an event in which he has finished fifth, first, first and second, respectively, in the past four Games.
The top seed in the event is Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh, Phelps’ longtime rival who has won five Olympic medals—none of them gold, all in races where Phelps won gold—and two World titles—both in Phelps’ signature events during the American’s absence. Cseh, who has transitioned from the IM events to focusing on fly late in his career, won the European title in the event earlier this year in 1:52.91.
And then, South Africa’s Chad le Clos. The South African that upset Phelps in the 200 fly in London four years ago. The man who won the World title in the 100 fly last year in 50.56 and then afterwards told the press, “I just did a time that [Phelps] hasn’t done in four years, so he can keep quiet now.”
Hours later, at U.S. Nationals in San Antonio, Phelps won the 100 fly in 50.45.
After the prelims of the 200 free Sunday morning, le Clos told reporters that he had friends coming to Rio who would “be here for the showdown.” When asked about how he felt going head-to-head with Phelps and Cseh once again in the 200 fly, le Clos’ face lit up.
“Oh I’m excited,” le Clos said. “I’ve been excited for a long time. Very, very excited.”
Another chapter in the rivalry between le Clos and his one-time role model, Phelps. Another matchup between Phelps and Cseh in what has been a very lopsided rivalry. Even le Clos and Cseh have a bit of a rivalry, as Cseh held off le Clos for gold in the 200 fly at the World Championships last year before the South African got his revenge in the 100 fly.
So, yes, the 200 free will be good. But after you watch Sjostrom and Ledecky, don’t go anywhere. The one men’s race on this morning’s docket figures to be a doozy.
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